By Amahle Cele
With a grand opening ceremony on Wednesday, 24 July, the Grahamstown Observatory Museum unveiled its latest exhibition, ‘The Victorian Men of Science’, celebrating the contributions of prominent figures like Henry Galpin and Dr William Atherstone to science.
The unusual Victoria building housing the Grahamstown Observatory Museum was once a hub of astronomical discovery and home to some of the country’s most renowned astronomers, who made numerous discoveries using the powerful telescopes on display.
In 1859, watchmaker and jeweller Henry Galpin bought a simple double-storey establishment on Bathurst Street for £300. During the next 23 years, he made extensive changes. Rooftop developments included an observatory with a 22mm telescope to observe the night sky and the only Camera Obscura built in the Southern Hemisphere. Galpin was an expert in optics, a branch of physics that deals with the behaviour and properties of light.
The exhibition, curated by the Museum’s custodian and tour guide, Sinethemba Yema, pays homage to the legacy of Galpin, Atherstone and other local Victorian men of science and aims to inspire young people to pursue careers in science and technology.
Wednesday’s inspiring event was enlivened by the presence of the Graeme College Steel Band, who entertained guests with their infectious rhythms.
It was concluded with a vote of thanks from the Museum Manager, Mr Cemi, who emphasised the importance of preserving the legacy of men like Galpin and Atherstone and ensuring their contributions are not forgotten. He hoped the exhibition would inspire a new generation of young scientists to pursue their passions and make their own contributions to the field.
Galpin’s thriving watchmaker and jeweller’s shop was run by three of his seven sons after he died in 1886. However, by the end of the 1970’s the structure was dilapidated and unsound. The building’s historic link with the identification of the Eureka diamond led to the purchase and restoration of the Observatory by De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited.
The building was subsequently proclaimed a National Monument and presented to the Albany Museum to form part of its History Division. The Observatory Museum was opened by Harry Oppenheimer, the then Chairman of De Beers, on 2 February 1983.
Sadly, the Museum lost more than half a million rand worth of antiques and historic items in a burglary in June 2021.
